26 1 · God's (ompaftion,to~ his ptQple in afflillion. and that in the roote, fo as hee caufeth them.t0wi– ther, they are loafers by it; asappearesby that wicked King loram, 2 Ring. 6. 33• 'Thu eviUuof .the Lsr!, and whAtfoou!d I WAiteon the Lordany Ion, gerrandby thllt of Ab~z.., z chron. ,_ 8. 22, &c. :Ihen _ in timeofdijlrejfoAhab yet trej}affidmore againfl the Lor4: thit.w.u:that KingAbaz, this was theend of that atHiCl:ion·. o~efl. ·,But fome good-foule will objed and fay, I doe _ ·nodinde this fruit of my affiiClions. · · Anfw. It may be thou doeft not for the prtfent,; but itay a little till God hath made.<mend, aPJd thou lhalt fee that affii~ion which thou th<imghtefr moll! fuarpe, and for which thm1 fawefi no reafon)andby whicb. fo~ .a while y0u fawyou~ got no good -;· yet ·whea· fhe Lordhathmade an end and put all toge- . ther, then I fay thou ihalt find thy worfl: takings, thy_worll: conditionprofitable and ufefull tothe~; :In the time ofwinter when the trees wither, an unwife 111an w.ould wonder to fee fucha fpoile, but . when thefpring comes, you know th~ benefit ofit; you fuould not have had fuch a fpring. blllt for fuch · a winter : and fo thofe varieties of affiiet:ions and croifeS: which God'leads thee through, thofeJins, th9fe putttngs_backe _whichwe thinkecaono way bee advantagi-ous to us~ they ever in theendwill bring forth a fpring tif'ne, for all things worke to- :gether for good. Iudgenot byoneparticular, but - .··lt ~]jay ti'H Godhath put all together, an~ thau lhalt ~ .,, >·:> t~fee it is for good., Th-ence it is that.Saint lAmes . -~- t.. ~ would have us, lttmes I. 2. wbm wefoil into.divers ~ tempttttions; to count i~ exceedinggreat joy, that is, hee · dot
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